... a full understanding of human development. Human ontogenesis is thought to have multiple influences, both internal and external factors playing a significant role in the development of the person. Thus, development of an individual cannot be seen in an isolated manner - rather the social, biological and cultural-historical contexts have to be considered. The contemporary approach to developmental psychology encompassing these main ideas is referred to as developmental contextualism. Furthermore, this approach suggests that "variables influencing development changes can cause changes in other variables at the same or a different level of explanation" (Wood, Littleton and Oates, 2002, pg.55). This is known as dynamic interactionism. Bronfenbrenner (1993), cited by Wood et al (2002) researched embeddedness in particular and proposed an 'ecological' theory of development. Bronfenbrenner's theory posits that a person's interaction with his or her environment results in development of that individual along a certain course. According to the 'ecological' ...

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